Dr. Dahanayaka, a revolutionary leader who fought against injustice - Prime Minister

Uditha Kumarasinghe, Rajmi Manatunga and Irangika Range

KOTTE: Late Prime Minister Dr. Wijayananda Dahanayaka was a revolutionary leader who always stood up against injustice caused to the people of this country, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said yesterday.

Addressing a ceremony to unveil a portrait of the late Prime Minister at the Parliamentary complex, the Premier said that as the Prime Minister, a Minister and a Member of Parliament Dahanayaka acted according to the public opinion which guided him throughout his political career.

“When the Government in 1970 imposed restrictions on the importation of food items to encourage the national economy, he voiced the opinion of the public by entering Parliament with only the basic attire. This incident exemplified his respect for the views of the public”, he said.

Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara recalling the life of the late Prime Minister said that he set the example for successive political leaders how to commit their lives to public service.

“Late Prime Minister Dahanayaka was an extremely simple and humble human being who preferred to be with the ordinary masses.

That is why he chose public trains as his mode of transport. I can still remember how he used to walk barefoot to the Bambalapitiya railway station to return to Galle after Parliamentary sessions”, he said.

The Speaker pointed out that the late Premier was an excellent orator who still holds the record for the longest address in Parliament and who was well-read in English literature.

“As a Minister, he took steps to provide lunch to schoolchildren, established the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Universities and declared poya day as a public holiday”.

Addressing the unveiling ceremony, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that late Prime Minister Dahanayaka was among the great leaders of Sri Lanka like. D. S. Senanayake, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, John Kotalawala, J. R. Jayawardene and G. G. Ponnambalam.

“Dr. Dahanayaka dedicated all his life for public service. As a Member of Parliament, he spent most of his time in his electorate whenever he was not in Parliament.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, he took the important step of holding an election on a single day, thus preventing the occurrence of large-scale election malpractices”, he said.

Wickremesinghe stated that Prime Minister Dahanayaka possessed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the law and the Parliamentary system.

“He was a politician in favour of the Donoughmore system and voted against the promulgation of the Soulbury Constitution.

It was the same tradition that he adopted when he was appointed the fifth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.